CARTHAGE, Mo. — For the first time since May of 2019, track and field athletes from Joplin, Webb City, Carl Junction, Carthage and Neosho competed against each other at the same location.
After the 2020 season was completely wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s safe to say Thursday’s Carthage Invitational track meet was a welcome sight for all those involved.
“We were really disappointed about losing last year, so I’m really excited just to get back out here today,” Webb City boys coach Dustin Miller said. “It’s nice to hear the sound of the starter’s pistol and just watching the kids compete is great. We’ve got a really good team this year, so I’m really excited about this season. And it’s a great feeling seeing all these seniors out here who have dedicated themselves to track and field.”
Miller had another reason to be excited, as Webb City’s boys and girls squads both captured team titles at what was the season-opener for many of the schools in attendance.
The Webb City boys finished with 138 points. Joplin was second with 132, while Neosho (89) and Carthage (76) were third and fourth. There were 12 teams competing.
The Webb City girls compiled 117 points. Nevada (106), Bolivar (94.5) and Carl Junction (82) rounded out the top four teams. Neosho’s girls were fifth (81), Joplin was eighth (48) and Carthage ninth (30).
WEBB CITY HIGHLIGHTS
The Webb City boys won four events and took second in three others. Webb City’s depth was on display, as the Cardinals scored points in 17 events.
Luke Brumit won the high jump by clearing 6-4.25, while Pryce Mason went 14-7.25 to win the pole vault, a meet and school record.
Caleb Cook crossed the line first in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.43 seconds.
The Cardinals won the 4×200 relay in 1:35, with Isaiah Brisco, William Wolfe, Mason and Mekhi Garrard competing.
Garrard was the runner-up in both the triple jump and the 200, while Zetthew Meister took second in the discus.
Third-place finishers were Matt McDaniel (high jump), Grayson Smith (pole vault), Meister (shot put) and Roman Borboa (1600). Finishing fourth were Jacob Shonk (long jump) and Gustavo Sabbag (110 hurdles).
The Cardinals were fourth in the 4×100, with William Headrick, Joshua White, Tyler Shields and Brisco running. Webb City was sixth in the 4×400 (James Morgan, Shonk, Cook, Brumit).
McDaniel placed fifth in the javelin and Justin Allen was fifth in the pole vault. Borboa, Joseph Dawson and Dustin Brockmiller were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 3200.
Webb City’s girls won five events and took second in four others.
Junior Riley Hawkins won three events — the 800 in 2:33, the 1600 in 5:28 and the 3200 in 11:49.
Haidyn Berry won the javelin (127-10) and teammate Dawsyn Decker was second (114-10).
Kaylyn Gilbert took first in the discus (98-9) and fourth in the shot put. Emily Beres took second in the shot put and fourth in the discus.
Ripley Shanks was second in the pole vault and Jaydee Duda was the runner-up in the 200.
The girls 4×100 relay took fourth, with Morgan Brannon, Rachel Davison, Kylie Jennings and Danecca Heffren running.
Jennings placed fourth in the 300 hurdles, while Alanna Bundy was fourth in the 800.
JOPLIN HIGHLIGHTS
Joplin’s boys won six events, including two relays.
Donovyn Fowler won the long jump with a school record and meet record leap of 23-10.25. Teammate Trayshawn Thomas was second (21-6.75).
A junior, Fowler also won the triple jump (45-10.5), with Thomas third (44-6.25). Fowler placed third in the 200.
Joplin won the 4×800 relay in 8:28, with Evan Matlock, Zaben Barnes, Ryan Byers and Hobbs Campbell competing.
Campbell crossed the line first in the 1600 (4:30) and took second in the 3200 (9:52).
The Eagles won the 4×100 relay in 44.57, with Nathan Glades, Thomas, Dominick Simmons and Fowler competing.
Glades finished first in the 300 hurdles and was the runner-up in the 100.
In the shot put, Donovahn Watkins took second and Dontrell Holt was fifth.
Fourth-place finishers for the JHS boys were Luke Vieselmeyer (high jump) and Barnes (3200), while Micah Bruggeman was fifth in the 1600 and sixth in the 800.
For the JHS girls, Jennalee Dunn was second in the 1600 and third in the 3200.
Joplin’s girls took fourth in the 4×200 relay, with Kylie Anderson, Jackaline Triplett, Allie Lawrence and Bailey Ledford competing.
The Eagles were also fourth in the 4×400 (Triplett, Isabeela Yust, Alexandra Carson, Mya Ndedi-Ntepe).
Alayna Merriman was fourth in the javelin, Lawrence finished fifth in both the 200 and the pole vault, Carson took fifth in the 400, Anderson was sixth in the 100 and Yust took seventh in the 400.
Joplin’s Camryn Ledford broke a 20 and under national record in the para-javelin with her heave of 41-5.
CARL JUNCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Leading the way for the Carl Junction girls with two event wins apiece were Shiloh Sluder and Ally Montez.
Sluder won the 100-meter dash in 12.79 and the 200 in 26.98. Montez took first in the 100 hurdles (15.04)and the 300 hurdles (48.1).
Salma Lewis was the runner-up in the high jump, while Olivia Vediz finished third in both the 100 and the triple jump and took fourth in the long jump.
Also for the CJ girls, Emerson Lundien finished fourth in the pole vault and Bryn Neria took fifth in the javelin.
Carl Junction’s Brendan Jewell was the runner-up in the boys high jump, while Colton Talken took fourth in the 100.
CARTHAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Carthage’s Caleb Calvin won the javelin with a toss of 161-1 for the hosts’ lone first place finish.
The Tigers were second in the 4×800 relay, with Malcolm Robertson, Ty Lewis, Richard Contreras and Miquel Solano competing.
Carthage’s Solano, Tyler Burt, Aiden Rogers and Calvin took second in the 4×400.
Tyler Burt finished third in the 400, while Aiden Logan placed fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus.
Zachary Lansford took fourth in the javelin, Rogers finished fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200, while Calvin was fifth in the 300 hurdles and Solano placed fifth in the 800.
For the Carthage girls, Kenedy Smith finished second in the triple jump and third in the high jump.
Carthage’s girls were fourth in the 4×100, with Katie Crowe, Joey Hettinger, Ashlynn Patrick and Karly Sullivan competing.
The 4×200 relay of Trisha Kanas, Hettinger, Patrick and Sullivan finished fifth. Lilly Holmes was fifth in the discus.
NEOSHO HIGHLIGHTS
Neosho’s Kaden Cole won the 3200 in 9:52 and was the runner-up in the 1600.
The Wildcats were second in the 4×200 relay, with Marcus Duncan, William Howell, Evan Haskins and Tristan Clanton competing.
Clanton was second in the 400, Jeremiah Larson finished second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles, while Cole placed third in the 800.
Isaiah Green was fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. Haskins was fifth in the 400.
The Wildcats finished fourth in the 4×400 (Duncan, Haskins, Larson and Clanton).
For Neosho’s girls, Jayden Browning won the triple jump (35-4.5) and took second in the long jump (16-1). She was also fifth in the high jump.
Madilyn Ebbinghaus was second in the 400.
The Wildcats’ 4×800 team of Makenna Davis, Bailey Miller, Heaven Kivett and Michelle Lindsay took second.
Neosho was also second in the 4×200, with Taigen Mitchell, Claire Burghart, Kivett and Ebbinghaus running. The Wildcats were second in the 4×400 (Mitchell, Burghart, Lindsay, Ebbinghaus).
Riley Kemna finished fifth in the 1600 and sixth in both the 800 and 3200, while the Wildcats were fifth in the 4×100.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
McDonald County’s Garrett Gricks won the boys shot put (45-6.25) and Lamar’s Trace Willhite won the discus (139-4).
Logan Crockett of Lamar took first in the 100 (11.62) and Kelton Sorrell of East Newton won the 800 (2:01).
Monett’s team of Ian Hilderbrand, Konner Poynter, Eduardo Trujillo and Jose Salas won the 4×400 in 3:35.
Nevada’s Lillian Hart won the girls high jump (4-11.75) and long jump (16-4.5), while teammate Claire Pritchett took first in the shot put (40-6.25).
Monett’s girls won the 4×100 in 54.10, with Ashtyn Blakey, Jenna Herald, Londi Torres-Ramos and Mary Jane Martinez competing.
Nevada’s girls took first in the 4×400, as Jade Feller, Bailey Ast, Clara Swearingen and Madyson Majors finished in 4:31.
McDonald County’s Mariana Salas was third in the javelin and Kaycee Factor took third in the 400.
CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL
Boys team scores: Webb City 138, Joplin 132, Neosho 89, Carthage 76, Bolivar 63, Lamar 55, Grove 44, Monett 34, East Newton 33, Nevada 31, McDonald County 22, Carl Junction 21.
Girls team scores: Webb City 117, Nevada 106, Bolivar 94.5, Carl Junction 82, Neosho 81, Monett 62.5, Grove 51, Joplin 48, Carthage 30, Lamar 21, McDonald County 20, East Newton 12.
FULL RESULTS: https://mo.milesplit.com/meets/407953-carthage-varsity-invitational-2021/results/728214/raw#.YGac07CSlPY
